Car rental extra driver fee?

[summy32]

We will be renting a car for the first time this November. So far the best rates I have found are through E-z Rent a Car. When I read the fine print it showed a 9.99 fee per day for an additional driver. I think I have read somewhere that some rental agencies do not charge for this or do not charge if the extra driver is your spouse. Does anyone have info on which agencies do not charge at all or do not charge for a spouse.

Thank you so much for your help.

Summer

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

It use to be free spouse most rentals, now it's the $10 a day more as I've seen. The only different policy I found two years ago, Alamo, had the disabled person could have an added driver.

 

[deb010305]

We use Hertz and if you and your spouse are AAA members the additional spouse driver is free.

 

[jsilvers]

If you join National's Emerald Club, there are no second driver fees. Of course, National usually isn't the cheapest option overall.

 

[sympatico]

Budget (and maybe Avis) has free spouse included.

 

[happymommy]

Honestly, I would just ignore the fee. It's just a way to make more money. We're traveled with friends and shared a car many times, and as long as you drive safely it's fine.

That being said, as my husband is an attorney, this is just my own experience and I don't condone it. It's just been fine by us!

And there are many great rates for rental cars that include an additional driver free. We just go with the least expensive.

 

[jsilvers]

Honestly, I would just ignore the fee. It's just a way to make more money. We're traveled with friends and shared a car many times, and as long as you drive safely it's fine.

Respectfully, unless you can somehow guarantee that everyone else on the road will also drive safely, this is an absolutely terrible idea.

 

[SalandJeff]

An additional driver is free if you book through Costco travel. You can book Alamo, Avis, Enterprise or Budget through their site.

 

[Yellowjj]

Honestly, I would just ignore the fee. It's just a way to make more money. We're traveled with friends and shared a car many times, and as long as you drive safely it's fine.

That being said, as my husband is an attorney, this is just my own experience and I don't condone it. It's just been fine by us!

And there are many great rates for rental cars that include an additional driver free. We just go with the least expensive.

A terrible idea. Your husband is an attorney? Remind me not to enlist his services, if he can't tell family/friends driving a car without insurance is against the law/asking for problems....and since you aren't listed on the rental agreement, you have zero insurance no matter what policy you have for your personal car. The insurance company will happily stamp denied on your form if you try to claim.

Respectfully, unless you can somehow guarantee that everyone else on the road will also drive safely, this is an absolutely terrible idea.

+1

 

[ParkHopperFan]

I agree that it's a money grab by the rental agency. We routinely rent through Priceline and in the past few years have rented through Avis, Hertz, Alamo and Budget and have never been charged for a spouse to drive the car. We get a great rate but always have to be vigilant of the counter agent's persistent efforts to up sell.

We waive the insurance because our personal auto policy covers us while driving a rental car. A simple call to your carrier will confirm if this is the case for you as well.

We always bring a valid insurance card with us in the event that we are in an accident or the rental agency requests to see it. There are a few companies that will force you to accept their insurance without proof that you are insured through your own policy.

 

[Yellowjj]

I agree that it's a money grab by the rental agency. We routinely rent through Priceline and in the past few years have rented through Avis, Hertz, Alamo and Budget and have never been charged for a spouse to drive the car. We get a great rate but always have to be vigilant of the counter agent's persistent efforts to up sell.

We waive the insurance because our personal auto policy covers us while driving a rental car. A simple call to your carrier will confirm if this is the case for you as well.

We always bring a valid insurance card with us in the event that we are in an accident or the rental agency requests to see it. There are a few companies that will force you to accept their insurance without proof that you are insured through your own policy.

Your mixing up quite a few things in this thread.

Insurance is not the problem per se. The problem is if the additional driver is not listed on the rental and gets into a accident, the contract is null and void. Therefore the insurance is void as it only covers the person/s authorized to drive the vehicle.

Basically if your spouse is not listed on the rental with you and decides to drive and get in a accident. The car is for all intents and purposes not insured, because the contract was broken by you for allowing someone else to drive the car who wasn't listed.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Insurance is not the problem per se. The problem is if the additional driver is not listed on the rental and gets into a accident, the contract is null and void. Therefore the insurance is void as it only covers the person/s authorized to drive the vehicle.

Basically if your spouse is not listed on the rental with you and decides to drive and get in a accident. The car is for all intents and purposes not insured, because the contract was broken by you for allowing someone else to drive the car who wasn't listed.

This is how I understand the situation as well.

And to further clarify: your personal auto insurance won't cover you in unless all the drivers are properly listed on the rental contract. So if an unlisted driver gets into an accident, even though they are an authorized driver on your personal auto insurance policy, your personal insurer will not pay a claim because of the invalid contract, nor will a credit card.

 

[Lewisc]

No I think it's you who is misinformed... If you have a personal auto policy that covers you as a driver in a rental vehicle, then you are covered regardless of whether your name is on the rental agreement. As I mentioned previously I have rented many times with my spouse allowed as a second driver without their name ever being requested by the rental agency. As we are both insured for this, we are covered.

Aside from needing to brush up on your knowledge of insurance, you should also brush up on the rules for posting on the Disboards. Your posts on this particular thread have been nothing but contrite and insulting. You wouldn't want others to think that your a d*uchebag.

Personal auto insurance and credit card coverage doesn't generally offer coverage (is void) if youre not following the terms if the rental agreement. Allowing an additional driver not authorized us one example.

Did you have a claim? Was there an issue getting it paid?

If not your post is less then worthless. Posters who rely on your advice might owe $$$ if.they have an accident

 

[goofy4tink]

I know my auto insurance policy. I I used to work for an insurance company in the auto area. I know what my policy covers when traveling.....and it covers basically accidents/injuries. So I don't need the addtl liability coverage. BUT.....if I don't put my dh on the rental agreement as an addtl driver, he doesn't get behind the wheel...period. If there were to be an accident and he was driving, but not listed on the agreement, the agreement is now null and void. Believe me, if there was a way to get him on without paying, I would. I was able to do it with Alamo, as part of their preferred program.....but not anymore to the best of my knowledge.

 

[ncc1701]

We use Hertz and if you and your spouse are AAA members the additional spouse driver is free.

Same for us when we rented from them last year in San Diego.
If we didn't use Hertz I would still rather pay for the 2nd driver at $10/day than risk a huge bill & insurance issues because we wanted to save $50-70 on a rental car

 

[Yellowjj]

Originally Posted by ParkHopperFan

No I think it's you who is misinformed... If you have a personal auto policy that covers you as a driver in a rental vehicle, then you are covered regardless of whether your name is on the rental agreement. As I mentioned previously I have rented many times with my spouse allowed as a second driver without their name ever being requested by the rental agency. As we are both insured for this, we are covered.

Aside from needing to brush up on your knowledge of insurance, you should also brush up on the rules for posting on the Disboards. Your posts on this particular thread have been nothing but contrite and insulting. You wouldn't want others to think that your a d*uchebag.

Gotta love someone who gives out wrong advice and then call other's names.

You sure deleted that post quickly. I wonder why

Do let us know if you ever have a accident and you weren't listed as a driver what your "personal insurer" did.

 

[goofy4tink]

Gotta love someone who gives out wrong advice and then call other's names. You sure deleted that post quickly. I wonder why Do let us know if you ever have a accident and you weren't listed as a driver what your "personal insurer" did.

Actually, I deleted the post, not the poster.

 

[jsilvers]

At best, the law is mixed. There are certainly anecdotal accounts of unauthorized drivers who found that their personal automobile policy refused to pay up after an accident. Se, e.g., http://forum.freeadvice.com/auto-ac.../unauthorized-driver-claim-denied-205433.html.

On the other hand, courts typically are suspicious of exclusions in automobile insurance policies, and in at least one recent case a federal appeals court held that an unauthorized driver’s personal automobile policy should apply – but only after a series of trials and the appeal, which must have been oodles of fun for all involved. See http://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/unpub/files/201012825.pdf.

On the other other hand, at least one state – Maryland – has a law that explicitly prohibits allowing an unauthorized driver to use a rental car, with potential criminal penalties. See http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/f...le=gtr&section=18-106&ext=html&session=2014RS (another Maryland law specifies that the potential punishments are up to 2 months in prison and a $500 fine).

Bottom line, as I see it: Unless you’re an expert in auto insurance law - and perhaps even if you are - you’re taking one heck of a risk by allowing an unauthorized driver to drive a car that you rented. I sure wouldn't.

Philosophical aside: There’s a concept referred to as “normalization of deviance.” Basically, it means that if you break the rules and nothing happens, you start to believe that you can keep on doing so forever, without consequence. But sooner-or-later, your luck tends to run out. This term often is used in reference to NASA, because it came to accept as normal two serious Space Shuttle design flaws - the SRB o-rings and external tank foam shedding - which eventually led to the loss of Challenger and Columbia. But the concept is universal - don't think that because you got away with something once that you can/should keep doing it.

 

[Yellowjj]

Actually, I deleted the post, not the poster.

As well you should have.

We're all adults on this board and even in disagreement should remain civil.

The fact that they were giving out wrong information that would have ended badly if the OP had followed it, was just added fuel on the fire.

 

[Lewisc]

COSTCO and AAA promotional rates generally include an extra driver.

Companies would like to make a profit. Some agencies offer very low rates and hope to make a profit on the extras.

People who require an additional driver should compare prices which include any additional cost for an additional driver. PL NYOP reservations don't include an additional driver. A fee for an additional driver will generally more then offset any savings.

Some states, but not FL, prohibit charging an additional driver fee for a spouse.